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The role of newspapers in our society

Re: You can't have a healthy democracy without well-informed citizens, Opinion Feb. 14

You can't have a healthy democracy without well-informed citizens, Opinion Feb. 14

John Honderich, chair of the board of Torstar Corp., makes a very valid comment: “The functioning of a healthy democracy is predicated on a well-informed population. You can’t have one without the other.” True, for our democracy to thrive, citizens depend on the media to set the agenda for an informed and robust public discussion.

There is much evidence to show that the fine investigative reporting, the balanced and insightful columns and the powerfully crafted editorials in the Star have contributed greatly to our appreciation of key events and our ability to respond — as caring Canadians. I for one depend on my newspaper for key information and analysis.

In addition to the excellent information that was dug up and presented by committed reporters in the groundbreaking Rob Ford and Police Racial Profiling stories, we have benefited considerably from the investigative reporting in other key areas such as health care, transit, inequality, climate change, economics — and politics.

While citizens will continue to benefit from in-depth investigations and hard work of serious journalism that informs, critiques and challenges the reader to make informed decisions, the continued shrinking of newsrooms is a real threat for the survival of quality journalism that can affect us all going forward.

Rudy Fernandes, Mississauga

Newspapers do play a leading role in the political process. For the individual citizens, understanding political process is at times complicated and time consuming. However, newspapers are in an excellent position to discover and reveal real motives behind governments actions.

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Newspaper have the resources (time, manpower, capital and experience) and freedom of expression — granted by the constitution — to access information, analyze it and uncover the truth, and then make it public knowledge. So, in that regard, the responsibilities of newspapers are immense.

Governments and political establishments would like to think that their intentions are good and their actions don’t need critical observation. However, if they are left to their own devices, with time, they can get bolder and start raising barriers in one way or another to restrict scrutiny of their actions. The end result would be undermining of freedom of expression — the main pillar of democracy.

In Canada, we are lucky to have a media which acts generally responsibly.

Ali Orang, Richmond Hill

Bravo to your former editor championing well-informed newspapers reaching out to their paying customers. Evil exists and prospers when lack of knowledge creates indecision. The newspaper pipers must be paid. There is no other way if we are to keep democracy alive.

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Harry Kimpton, Toronto

I agree with many of the points made by Mr. Honderich. We do need to have good journalism at local and regional levels to first provide a balanced version of the local news, and to do investigative journalism into business and politics. We certainly cannot rely on large multinational corporations to uncover the truth or do an in depth report about local or regional politics or business.

But while he praises the Star for the investigative reporting into Rob Ford and tire recycling, Torstar is spending large amounts of money to develop and support a news app that is all about providing pretty pictures and very little content.

Like the Montreal LaPresse newspaper, the originator of the app the Star launched, this app is intended to replace the Star newspaper at some point in the future. Technology is changing how we read news but that does not change the need or the desire for good journalism and a platform for good journalism.

By producing an app that is providing significantly less substantive content, Mr. Honderich is doing exactly what he is speaking against. The Star should be investing in a digital platform that does all the things he speaks about.

David Bell, Etobicoke

I agree that a well-informed citizenry contributes to creating a healthy democracy. It’s why I’m going into the career I am (academic librarianship).

But John Honderich’s assertion that newspaper media “plays a leading role in this informing process’” and that it’s the TV newscasts that have “fallen prey to a celebrity-obsessed and entertainment-driven culture” deserves a bit of an eye-roll considering the front page of the Star that his story is printed in.

The NBA All-Star Game story also included two full section A pages that detail all the celebrities visiting, including full-colour photographs. Meanwhile, a four-inch square area buried in the same section briefly covers how Lockheed Martin “accidentally” shipped a Hellfire training missile meant for the U.S. to Cuba. True story.

Shannon Barill, Oshawa

I read John Honderich’s column and wanted to say that I found the subject amazingly well laid out and both very meaningful and true to my way of thinking. Thank you, Mr. Honderich!

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